It is necessary to read Revelation. We will not be gone for the tribulation. In fact they have already begun. Apocalypse (Apokalupsis: 602) means to completely reveal and to lay bare truth in instruction. God uses symbolism to reveal as a teacher may use apples to symbolize
numbers. The apostle Jesus "loved" wrote revelation that is to say St. John.
Rev 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”
This "things which must shortly come to pass" is not referring to the destruction of Jerusalem or the civil wars of Rome that came about shortly after Christ's resurrection which lasted only four years. In God's perspective, the Earth was created in a week.
It is the revelation of Jesus Christ, not John's which God gave to Jesus and Jesus gave to John by way of a his angel. All angels are Christ's and it is not the messenger but the message that is important. This is the same who wrote the gospel of John and the epistles of John.
1:2 2 “Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”
This is a report of the return of Jesus. A servant is a worker and at that moment John was working hard for Christ to make a record of what he saw.
1:3 “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
This is the only book that says you will be blessed by reading and understanding. That alone should perk your interest.
1:4 “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;”
It's the content of the church is what matters. There are seven angels over these churches that reached the corners of civilization. The seven spirits we will discuss later.
1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
He is the first begotten of the dead because he is the only begotten Son and the first to rise from the dead. John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." He washed us from our sins by his death on the cross. Christ is basically telling John, “You know who I am, now write down what I am about to show you and send it to the seven churches.”
1: 6 “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
He has made us kings for all things are under the feet of Christ and when we are at his feet all things are under us. Ezek. 44:23 "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." These are the chosen, "Zadok" (15) = son's of the "righteous"
1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”
Amen means "that's that" or "so be it." Every knee will bow to him. Everyone who lives or as ever lived will see him. All the nations (kindreds, Phule: 5443) shall wail because when he returns they will be worshiping a false Christ.
1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
This is Christ himself speaking. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The term used for "the Word" in this sentence is Logos: 3056 and it is where we get the word logo meaning a representation, likeness or similitude of a corporation or individual entity. God is the subject of John 1:1 and the Word the representation of the Father. John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Christ is the Word. John 5:37 "And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape." John 5:38 "And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not." John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." The Old Testament did speak of the Savior and was in fact it's main point. God sent an emissary who was the similitude of himself, the Living Word, Jesus Christ. John 14:9 "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" Christ came in the very likeness of God. John 8:57 "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" John 8:58 "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am" Luke 10:22 "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." John 10:30 "I and my Father are one." He and the Father have been together from the beginning and will be for eternity. Christ has always been with us.
1:9 “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
John was in prison on the isle of Patmos for teaching the word of God when he was given this revelation. Patmos is a small island on the west coast of Asia Minor in Ephesus. He did not belly ache about his situation because he knew that all things work for the glory of God and to that end he was willing to go through anything.
1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,”
John was in the spirit on the Lord's Day. This wasn't a dream. He was taken to the Lord's Day and he was not in a temporal body. This is not Sunday but the day the Lord returns. 2pet 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." A thousand years is also called a millennium. The Millennium Day is the Lord's Day and it will last a thousand years. 2pet 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." Elements is the greek word Stoicheion 4747 and it means "rudiments" or dross as shown in Gal 4:3 "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:" Gal 4:9 "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" Col 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (elements) of the world, and not after Christ." and Col 2:20 "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances," This is why John was in the Spirit as there are no more flesh creatures on Earth because all the corruptible matter will be burned away with the coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God. 1Cor 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." Heb12:9 "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" This is also how you will know if it is truly Christ. If you're still in the flesh it's not him. John was taken to the Lord's Day to show us what happens then, just before then, and directly after the first day of the Millennium. The voice in the trumpet is of course Christ himself.
1:11 “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”
Christ tells John to write a letter to seven churches and to make sure they know it’s from him. Christ cares for these churches, which represent all of his people. He didn't create his children to kill them.
1:12 “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;”
The seven golden are no big mystery. The Bible always explains itself.
1:13-15 “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.”
Christ is the one in the midst of them. He is very beautiful.
1:16 “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
God will sometimes use analogies, not to hide the truth but to make it even simpler so that anyone can understand. He will always explain His analogies within His Word. The two edged sword is the truth, the living Word of God. He is surrounded by a glorious bow of radiant energy. Just like on the mount of transfiguration. Mt 17:2 (Mount Tabor in S. Galilee)
1: 17 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:”
This is Christ. His children have nothing to fear from him for he will never harm his own.
1:18 “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Christ is alive and has the power of life and death because he defeated death on the cross. He is the only way you overcome death.
1: 19 “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;”
He is told to write down what he's already seen, what he is currently seeing and what he will see after the Lord's Day.
1: 20 “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
There you have it, no big mystery. God will always explain his analogies. All we need is to study his word.
numbers. The apostle Jesus "loved" wrote revelation that is to say St. John.
Rev 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”
This "things which must shortly come to pass" is not referring to the destruction of Jerusalem or the civil wars of Rome that came about shortly after Christ's resurrection which lasted only four years. In God's perspective, the Earth was created in a week.
It is the revelation of Jesus Christ, not John's which God gave to Jesus and Jesus gave to John by way of a his angel. All angels are Christ's and it is not the messenger but the message that is important. This is the same who wrote the gospel of John and the epistles of John.
1:2 2 “Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”
This is a report of the return of Jesus. A servant is a worker and at that moment John was working hard for Christ to make a record of what he saw.
1:3 “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
This is the only book that says you will be blessed by reading and understanding. That alone should perk your interest.
1:4 “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;”
It's the content of the church is what matters. There are seven angels over these churches that reached the corners of civilization. The seven spirits we will discuss later.
1:5 “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
He is the first begotten of the dead because he is the only begotten Son and the first to rise from the dead. John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." He washed us from our sins by his death on the cross. Christ is basically telling John, “You know who I am, now write down what I am about to show you and send it to the seven churches.”
1: 6 “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
He has made us kings for all things are under the feet of Christ and when we are at his feet all things are under us. Ezek. 44:23 "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean." These are the chosen, "Zadok" (15) = son's of the "righteous"
1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”
Amen means "that's that" or "so be it." Every knee will bow to him. Everyone who lives or as ever lived will see him. All the nations (kindreds, Phule: 5443) shall wail because when he returns they will be worshiping a false Christ.
1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”
This is Christ himself speaking. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last. John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The term used for "the Word" in this sentence is Logos: 3056 and it is where we get the word logo meaning a representation, likeness or similitude of a corporation or individual entity. God is the subject of John 1:1 and the Word the representation of the Father. John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Christ is the Word. John 5:37 "And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape." John 5:38 "And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not." John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." The Old Testament did speak of the Savior and was in fact it's main point. God sent an emissary who was the similitude of himself, the Living Word, Jesus Christ. John 14:9 "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" Christ came in the very likeness of God. John 8:57 "Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?" John 8:58 "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am" Luke 10:22 "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." John 10:30 "I and my Father are one." He and the Father have been together from the beginning and will be for eternity. Christ has always been with us.
1:9 “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
John was in prison on the isle of Patmos for teaching the word of God when he was given this revelation. Patmos is a small island on the west coast of Asia Minor in Ephesus. He did not belly ache about his situation because he knew that all things work for the glory of God and to that end he was willing to go through anything.
1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,”
John was in the spirit on the Lord's Day. This wasn't a dream. He was taken to the Lord's Day and he was not in a temporal body. This is not Sunday but the day the Lord returns. 2pet 3:8 "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." A thousand years is also called a millennium. The Millennium Day is the Lord's Day and it will last a thousand years. 2pet 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." Elements is the greek word Stoicheion 4747 and it means "rudiments" or dross as shown in Gal 4:3 "Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:" Gal 4:9 "But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" Col 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (elements) of the world, and not after Christ." and Col 2:20 "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances," This is why John was in the Spirit as there are no more flesh creatures on Earth because all the corruptible matter will be burned away with the coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God. 1Cor 15:50 "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." Heb12:9 "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" This is also how you will know if it is truly Christ. If you're still in the flesh it's not him. John was taken to the Lord's Day to show us what happens then, just before then, and directly after the first day of the Millennium. The voice in the trumpet is of course Christ himself.
1:11 “Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”
Christ tells John to write a letter to seven churches and to make sure they know it’s from him. Christ cares for these churches, which represent all of his people. He didn't create his children to kill them.
1:12 “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;”
The seven golden are no big mystery. The Bible always explains itself.
1:13-15 “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.”
Christ is the one in the midst of them. He is very beautiful.
1:16 “And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”
God will sometimes use analogies, not to hide the truth but to make it even simpler so that anyone can understand. He will always explain His analogies within His Word. The two edged sword is the truth, the living Word of God. He is surrounded by a glorious bow of radiant energy. Just like on the mount of transfiguration. Mt 17:2 (Mount Tabor in S. Galilee)
1: 17 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:”
This is Christ. His children have nothing to fear from him for he will never harm his own.
1:18 “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
Christ is alive and has the power of life and death because he defeated death on the cross. He is the only way you overcome death.
1: 19 “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;”
He is told to write down what he's already seen, what he is currently seeing and what he will see after the Lord's Day.
1: 20 “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
There you have it, no big mystery. God will always explain his analogies. All we need is to study his word.
Mon Mar 22, 2010 12:18 am by Parable
» Revelation Chapter Four
Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:55 am by Parable
» Revelation Chapter 2
Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:53 pm by Parable
» Revelation Chapter three
Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:59 am by Parable
» Question about suffering
Tue Jan 26, 2010 7:59 pm by The Cure
» I love how we can talk about religion... but
Mon Jan 25, 2010 3:04 am by The Cure
» God's Blessings and Human Sexuality
Sun Jan 24, 2010 4:20 am by The Cure
» Revelation Chapter One
Sun Jan 17, 2010 8:49 am by Parable